Improvement in under-garments



SUSAN T. CONVERSE.

"Under-garment.

Patented Sept. 7,1875.

SUSAN TAYLOR CONVERSE, OF WOBUBN, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN UNDER-GARMENTS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 167,436, dated September 7, 1875; application filed April 24, 1875.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SUSAN TAYLOR 001v- VERSE, of Woburn, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in U nder-Garments for Ladies and Children, of which the following is a specification My present invention consistsin certain improvements upon the garment which is fully described in my application for Letters Patent now pending; and the first part of my invention consists in the use of a gore-piece inserted in the body of the garment in connection with proper lacing-flaps, whereby the garment is rendered adjustable, to the end that the same garment may be made to fit accurately persons differing considerably in size.

The second part of my invention consists in making the piece which covers the breast in two parts, each of which is gathered to give the necessary fullness, and provided with a curved edge, the curve of one of the pieces being opposite to that of the other, so that one will lap over the other, all as fully shown in the drawings, and as more fully described below.

In the drawings, A represents a garment covering the body and legs, which forms the main subject-matter of an application for patent now pending filed by me; but in order to get the entire benefit of such garments they must be made to fit the form very accurately, and the main object of the first part of my present invention is to provide a body garment which can be adjusted accurately around the abdomen, so that any one of a number of them, each cut from the same patterns, may be fitted accurately for use by any one of a number of persons.

No shirt, chemise, or similar garment covering the shoulders and extending below the waist has ever been made, to my knowledge, with provision for adjusting it to fit closely around the abdomen 5 and it is this which constitutes the main feature of novelty in this part of my invention.

The upper part of the garment is adapted to the shoulders and chest, and in the, parts surrounding the abdomen I insert one or more gore-pieces, 0, each provided with the lacingflaps D D. These gore-pieces are, made full, and gathered at their upper ends.

The abdomen is supported by them much more perfectly than by any other means known to me, and for women in an advanced state of pregnancy these garments are in the highest degree desirable.

The covering for the breasts is composed of two pieces, B B, each of which is sewed to the garment at its upper and lower part, and is properly gathered in order to give the requisite fullness. The piece B is also sewed to the garment at its rear edge, which is preferably cut on a curve, as shown. The rear edge of the piece B laps under the forward edge of the piece B, or vice versa, and these edges are each cut curving, as shown. The lapping edges are disconnected. The breasts are thus comfortably supported and covered without irritation.

I am aware that corsets are frequently made with adjusting devices at their abdominal parts, (for examples, see Patents No. 42,591 of 1864, and No. 161,018 of 1875;) and I wish, therefore, to disclaim distinctly any improvement in corsets, and to limit my claim to the improvement I have made in chemises, undershirts, and such garments, which are made high-necked or low-necked, cover the shoulders, are worn under the corsets, extend below the hip-joints, and heretofore have been invariably made large and full around the hips and abdomen.

What I claim as my invention is 1. In a chemise, the gores O and lacing-flaps D D, combined and arranged substantially as described, with those parts of the garment which extend below and around the abdomen and hips, as and for the purpose specified.

2. The pieces B and B, combined and arranged together and with the garment, substantially as above described.

SUSAN TAYLOR CONVERSE.

Witnesses:

E. M. TAYLOR, J. P. CONVERSE. 

